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True Life Confession: After Losing Both Her Beloved Parents to Cancer, This Woman Learned to Smile Again

Imagine losing both of your parents to cancer--within the period of six months. One woman shares her amazing story, with tips on how to get through major life trauma...

Up-and-coming singer and songwriter Kelly Sweet is here to share a heartbreaking page from her past--the death of her parents to cancer--and how she's managed to carry on with her life.

"My mother passed away December 16th, 2011 from metastasized breast cancer, and just six short months later, on June 4th, 2012, my father passed away from multiple myeloma, a cancer of the blood. I took care of them both in the last months of their lives. I miss each of them very much, and think of them many times a day. The death of my two incredible parents has been the biggest heartbreak of my life. I’ve written several songs about it, and it’s been the most emotional subject I’ve ever written about in my life. Writing and singing those songs is always therapeutic for me. It feels like my parents can hear me singing to them. ...For now, I am allowing myself to miss them, and to grieve the loss of them. Losing people you love is no easy thing, but it will happen to all of us, and it is simply part of life."

Kelly offers these wise tips on weathering unimaginable tragedy:

Be patient and kind to yourself. "Initially I expected I’d be fine after a few months, and I’d move on and get on with life. I even started feeling impatient with myself when that didn’t exactly happen! Now, I know that grief moves through you as it will, and there is no controlling it. Love yourself, let out the emotions when you feel them, and don’t rush them. Be patient, don’t force yourself to be happy for others sake, but don’t force yourself to be sad either."

Listen to your body. "I’ve learned that loss and grief are not only a mental experience, but a physical one as well. When I need to cry, I often feel it in my stomach, almost like I ate something that isn’t sitting well. Initially, I pushed away these reminders from my body, but the healthiest thing you can do is listen to your physical sensations. When you feel off during this time of loss and sadness, and there is no logical reason for it, it’s your body saying 'I need to feel this to move through it!' Dive into the feeling, and see what happens. You might get out that good cry you needed."

Express yourself creatively. "One of the best ways I’ve found to express what I’m feeling and move through it is being creative. I love writing poetry, lyrics, songs, or whatever I feel at the time. Sometimes I feel closer to the spirit of the person I’m missing, while I sing or write. I usually find I get to a place of “being OK” once I write for a while. Other times, I will paint or draw. It doesn’t have to be perfect or a masterpiece, this is for you."